Red Riding Hood

Chapter Five

Gasping I jumped up, my head colliding with the roof of the car.

"Ow," I moaned, rubbing the spot. 

My eyes felt stiff and as I rubbed them gently before William's dead form in the snow flashed in my mind. 

"Oh god" I mumbled, quickly starting the car and going home. Had I seen a wolf or imagined that too?

Pulling up outside I quickly went in, the house was empty apart from a note on the kitchen table-explaining Mum and James had gone for a walk into town. Grabbing a coke from the fridge I headed into my room, finding my diary where I had been taking notes on all my dreams, I quickly wrote it all down, tears coming on their own by the end. Something made me open the book when I was done. The words were still missing except on the last page and in the end it showed the red coated woman with a baby and the man that looked like that hunter in the other images that now filled the pages.

"Et si le loup mort, chaperon rouge et le chasseur vécurent heureux pour toujours" was the final sentence, hearing Mum and James I ran downstairs.

"Mum, what does this say?" I handed her the book, frowning she looked at the picture and then at the sentence.

"And so with the wolf dead, red riding hood and the hunter lived happily ever after" This didn't make sense, she loved the wolf. How did she end up with the hunter?

"But the wolf dying nearly killed her, how did she end up with the guy who shot him?" Mum looked at me confused before fear took over her face.

"How do you know? Your dreams?" I nodded. Then it clicked, William had called the grandmother a witch.

"The grandmother, she was a witch. She did something!" I felt angry now, but more than anger, I felt betrayed.

"Maybe she did it because a life with a werewolf was not the life she had wanted for her granddaughter, maybe it was better this way" My mouth dropped at Mums words as she defended the witch, as if the situation was ok.

"He would die to protect her, she was his, and they were meant to be together." I snapped.

Something was missing here.

"What did she do Mum?" My mother looked away from me, guilt over face. She sent James to his room to play with his new toys.

"The girls name was Penelope. Her grandmother, Margaret, was a witch. She is one of your ancestors. She did not want her family involved in the supernatural world but some things you cannot stop, like how we still have our visions. We do not practice magic. She never passed that knowledge onto us as it had been passed to her. Other beings would take us to do their bidding, to be known as a witch was to give your self to a life of torture. She was already an old woman and had seen so many things in her life. Meeting her husband, she resigned from her magic ways and in doing so allowed herself to age. They had a daughter, Isabella. It was when Penelope turned two, the vampires came. Unable to help them they killed Margaret's family. Luckily Penelope and her father were away from town so survived. Hating magic she had no choice to return to it and got her revenge on those who had hurt her so badly. Living as a recluse she mourned her losses and tried to distance herself from her family should attacks happen again."

I handed Mum some water, feeling sorry for Margaret. The loss of a husband and daughter must have been a terrible thing. After taking a sip she continued.

"Penelope was a beautiful being. She would visit her grandmother every Sunday and stay the evening with her. Then the Alpha met her and wanted her as his mate. In werewolf life, they have a true soul mate. It is quite an amazing thing," Mum spoke as if remembering something private before coming back to me, "When Lucas shot William, Margaret didn't want him to die and in fact saved him. But she also saw it as her chance to ensure Penelope would live a normal life and so she spelled her granddaughter to forget all about William and in the process of saving William did the same to him. Only when she finally did die, William being supernatural got his memory back. But it was to late. Penelope had died an old woman years before, her own children now grown with children of their own. Broken he took to hiding, leaving his place as Alpha and no one knows what happened to him. It was assumed he killed himself as most wolves tend to do if they were to loose a mate, the grief and loss is to much and not just for the human but the wolf inside."

I shook my head as she finished. "It wasn't Margaret's place to decide." 

"Now you know all the story perhaps it will ease your dreams and visions. The truth has been told." I had a feeling it wouldn't and there was so much more she wasn't telling me.

"I'm going to bed." I mumbled, it was only three in the afternoon but I felt exhausted. 

My sleep was filled with William's pain as he got his memory of his mate back. I woke up around ten, my chest aching as his had as it felt as if my heart had actually shattered into pieces. Deciding to get some water I headed downstairs, hearing voices outside I slowly crept to the back door, seeing Mum outside talking to darkness.

"If you are doing this to her due to some repressed guilt, stop it!" My mother scolded. The shadowy figured seemed to look right at me, a shiver racing down my spine. 

"It is not guilt, the fates have bought her back for a reason. He has suffered enough, it is time to right my wrongs." 

I knew her. It was Margaret. Mum threw her hands up frustrated and realizing she was coming inside quickly ran back to my room. But sleep didn't come.

By Saturday my stomach was churning, more than butterflies being in there, it was like a swarm of killer bees. Andrea sat opposite me as some of the local stylists worked on our hair and makeup for the ball. Mum walked into the room looking stunning. The black dress had been a great choice. She slipped on black heels that were hidden under the length of the gown, her eyes sparkling as bright as the earrings. Her hair had been styled in a French roll, she looked so elegant.

"Wow Mummy. You look beautiful." Jake exclaimed, turning from the TV to look. 

"Thank you baby" she smiled at him warmly, "Now remember, bed by ten and if you give Lucy any problems I will find out" 

He nodded, looking back at the TV. My makeup was finished; I had gone for a light smoky eye that bought out the blue in my eyes and a dramatic red lipstick. It wasn't a great deal of makeup but more than I was used to. My hair had a vintage edge to it too, I felt very old Hollywood with the 1940 style wave in my pinned up hair.

"My turn." I giggled as Mum popped a bottle of champagne. I had a lot I wanted to talk to her about but now wasn't the time. It was going to be a great night and that's what I kept telling myself to silence the voice in my head and to try and settle my nerves. We were sharing a limousine with Andrea, Derrick and Elise as she didn't want to ride with their parents since her boyfriend Pierre was coming along too.

After posing for a few photos we sat rather elegantly around our dining table, the driver was to due to pick us up at seven thirty. Andreas red hair was set to the right, opposite the left shoulder strap in a low bun. Her makeup hid her freckles but the hint of green around her eyes had you captivated by them. Derrick couldn't take his eyes off her, practically drooling over how good she looked coming down the stairs after we had finished dressing. Elise finally knocked on the door, her pale blue strapless satin gown hidden by the large black coat she had over the top to keep the cold out. As we piled out she ran back into the limo that had picked them up first and finally we were on our way. The ride there was full of more champagne and laughs and as much as I wanted to believe it was going to be a fun night, something else told me to be prepared.

For what? I wasn't sure.